Method of making artificial cork



Nov. 16 1926.

L. w. BERTELSEN, JR

METHOD OF MAKING ARTIFICIAL CORK inal Filed June 15 Orig Q Misc WQ; 1;(lug,

1 PGMXE Patented Nov. 16,

umran sures m orrrca.

nnorum: w. summon-n, an, or account; new max, assroiroa 'ro ARMSTRONGCORK oonrm, F RITTSBWBW. 'PEZI VANIA.

ara-rnvmta. a ooaroaarroaw or renumauarnon or .aarmcun coax.

Application Med J1me I6, 1921 mm In. (71,748 ,lenewed February 18, 182?.

My invention has relation to the meander-ctu'rc of artificial cork, andparticularly to she d bodies of artificial cork formed sub ecting thecork particles to a "heating anded,and the mass shaped to the desiredorm.

The eneral practice in the manufacture of arti cial cork bodies of thischaracter 1158 lb been to subject the cork particles,

in a suitable mold, to a baking operation, this bakin operation actin toexpand the cork partic es and to unite t in into a more or lesshomogeneous porous mass' Ith-as 16 also been proposed, instead of bakinthe molds containmg the comprwsed cor to apply the necessary heat to thecork by means of super-heated steam. Such operation, for instance, isdisclosed in the patent to Grunzweig, No. 997,056, of July 4, 1911.

When, however, steam is used as theheating medium, it has been supposed,asstated in the said patent, that it was necessary to leave the corkparticles in loose form while ll passing the steam therethrough. Thiseither uired the use of separate rhea and mdl ding vessels,the moi, efected after the completion of t e heating; or if the mold were used asthe heating vessol it was then necessary to apply pressure, afterheating, to the cork in the mold in order to shape the mass.

I have discovered oration is entirely unnecessary very satisfactoryproduct can be manufactured b compressing the cork articles in the molin the usual manner an then passing steam through the compressed massfor a suflicient time to effect the baking operation.

In the accompanying drawing I have i1- lustrated a mold 2 in which corkparticles are compressed in-the usual manner, this mold having aperforated bottom wall 3 and a removable perforated top plate 4 to whichand that a the compressing pressure may be applied,

and which is secured with the cork under tension ,in any suitablemarmeras b, the Keys Z 5. The perforated plates are pre crably formed oftwo difl'erent members haw orpackingrlli) ration in which the particlesare 01- -mold plate is supported.

only, as

ably reduce the time anii labor re uired for the manufacture of shapedart cial cork much less expensive than the ordinary o that thistwo-stage op-.

treatment, the mass is preferably permitted of the mold body sets, there'bei a asket interposed between t 8-and 9. 'e lower end ortion of themold bod is .also shown as aving an internal pe orated flange 11 uponwhich the bottom The apparatus herein shown is illustrative do not limitmyself to the use of any particular apparatus 111 carrying out myinvention. 7 p

In practice, steam may be employed havi lng a temperature of from 200 to350 C. a is steam is'su lied through the pi-pe 6 and funnel 7, an passesupwardly through the'ma'ss of cork, gradually raisin the temperature ofsuch mass. The lengt of time 70 reguired for the treatment depends con-4 si erably uponthe size and shape of the moided'mass The com lotion ofthe opera- 'tion can be determin by measuring the temperature in the uper portion of the mass. I have obtained good results by continuing thetreatment for about twenty minutes after the temperature of the upperportion of the-mass reaches C. My mventioli makes it possible to veryconsiden bodies the treatment by steam as above described requirmg amuch shorter time and is oration of charging the molds and then be inthem in hot ovens. The steam also has a eneficial action upon the cork,producing within the cork mass a binder from the resinous materialscontained therein; and the expansion of the mass while subjected to heatand while under compression acting to firmly unite the cork particlesinto a more or less homogeneous porous body having considerablestructural strength; After the I6 to cool while still in the mold.

The time re uired for the operation may i be somewhat s ortened bvore-heating the cork particles, but this I do not ordinarily consideradvantageous, as it requires a sepa rate partial-heating operatic Iclaim: 4

1. The herein described method of treat-- ing' cork which consists inapplying pressure to the mass of cork particles oi 'g'ranules in asuitable sha iug vessel, and then p a heating 111 'um therethrough whilehe ding the cork under such compression, sub

' stantially as described.

'0 particles, then applying pressure to the re- 2. The herein describedmethod of forming molded bodies of artificial cork which consists incharging and compressing the mass of cork particles into a shapingvessel or mold, and then passin a heating medium through such mass whieit isunder compression to bind the cork particles by resinous materialsfrom the cork, substantially as described.

3. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inapplying pressure to the mass of cork particles or granules in asuitable shaping vessel, and then passing steam therethrough while themass of cork is held in compressed condition, substantially asdescribed.

4. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inapplying pressure to the mass of cork particles or granules in asuitable shaping vessel, and then passing su-' perheated steamtherethrough while it is still under compression to bind the corkparticles by resinous materials from the cork, substantially asdescribed.

5. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inpreheating cork eated particles 1n a suitable mold, and en passin aheating medium through the mass while it is still under compression,substantially as described.

6. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inpreheating cork particles, then separately compressin the preheatedparticles in a suitable mol and then passing steam through the masswhile it is still under compression, Substantially as described.

7. In the treatment of cork, the step consisting in passi'ng a heatingmedium through cork articles while said particles are placed and iieldunder applied compression by a mold, substantially as described.

8. In the treatment of cork, the step consisting in passing steamthrough cork par- I ticles while said particles are placed and heldunder applied compression independently of the pressure of the steam,substanv tially as described.

9. In the treatment of cork, the step consisting in passing a heatingmedium through cork particles while said particles are placed and heldunder applied compression indetia-lly as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set pendently of the heatingmedium, substaning the cork under such compression, substantially asdescribed.

is held in compressed condition, substan tially as described.

4. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inapplying pressure to the mass of cork particles or granules in asuitable shaping vessel, and then passing su-' perheated steamtherethrough while 1t is still under compression to bind the cork par-'ticles by resinous materials from the cork, substantially as described.

5. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inpreheating cork eated particles 1n 9. sultable mold, and

articles then a plyin pressure to the reli a P g 51cm 1,607,047.LeomrdARTIFICIAL Coax. December 15, 1939,

W. Bertelsen, J12,

passin a heating medium through the mass while it is still undercompression, substantially as described.

6. The herein described method of treating cork which consists inpreheating cork particles, then separately compressin the preheatedparticles in a suitable mol and then passing steam through the masswhile it is still under compression, substantially as described.

7. In the treatment of cork, the step consisting in passing a heatingmedium through cork artlcles while said particles are placed and lieldunder applied compression by a mold, substantially as described.

8. In the treatment of cork, the step consisting in passing steamthrough cork par- I ticles while said particles are placed and heldunder applied compression independently of the pressure of the steam,substantially as described.

9. In the treatment of cork, the step con sisting in passing a heatingmedium through cork articles while said particles are placed and 181dunder applied compression indetia'lly as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set DISCLAIMER Brooklyn, N. Y.Ma'mon or MAKING Patent dated November 16, 1926. Disclaimerfiled by theassignee, Armstrong Oorlc Company.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 insaid specification.

lQflie'l'nl Gazette January 9, 1940.]

- pendently of the heating medium, substan- DISCLAIMER 1,607,047.LeonardW. Bertelsen, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y. METHOD OF MAKING ARTIFICIAL CORK.Patent dated November 16, 1926. Disclaimer filed December 15, 1939, bythe essignee, Armstrong Cork Company.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 insaid specification.

[Qflicial Gazette January 9, 1940.]

